Bale press



Dec. 1964 A. DEDEKAM ETAL &

BALE PRESS Filed April 8, 1963 37a F/G] 79 24 23 United States Patent-O 3,159,093 BALE PRESS Anders Dedekam and assignors to Anth. B. Nilsen 8; Co., Limited A/S, Oso, Norway, a Corporation of Norway Fiied Apr. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 271,117

1 Ciaim. (Cl. ros-415) v The present invention relates to compression of voluminous material such as shredded and fiuffed ground- Wood, cellulose or the like.

More specifically the invention relates to a bale press Eriing Finne-Larsen, Oslo, Norway,

adapted to be used for converting voluminous material into bales -of relatively high specific Weight.

Many ditiiculties are encountered in pressing voluminous material into a product of high specific Weight. The bottom and the walls of the press chamber must be able to withstand high presures. Usually either the bottom or one of the walls of the press chamber is made removable in order to allow ejection of the pressed sheet or mat of material. 1

If the press shall work with a satisfactory speed' it is diiicult to combine a moveable bottom or wall with sufficient strength;

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate means for ejecting the pressed material from said chamber.

The main feature of the invention consists substantially therein that the lower edges of the walls of the precompressing chamber extend in a horizontal plane in a distance above said base, a .press frame laterally 'move- ,ably supported on said base, said press frame having vertical walls dening an, opening of the same shape and .dimensions as said pre-compressing chamber, the height of the walls being equal to the distance between the base and the lower edges of the walls of said pre-compressing chamber, the press frame being moveable between a first position in which the inner surfaces of its walls are flush with the inner surfaces of the walls of said pre-compressing chamber, the press frame thus forming the press chamber proper, and a second position outside the pre-compressing chamber, a press ram adapted to be moved up and down in said pre-compressing chamber and said press frame, driving means for the press ram, means for supplying material to be pressed int-o the pre-compressing chamber, driving means for said press frame' and means for ejecting the pressed mat of material from said press frame' when it is in its second position, the driving means for the press ram and the driving means for the press frame being synchronized in such a manner that the press frame is in' position below the pre-compressng chamber when the ram exerts its downward Stroke and is moved to its outside positionwhen the ram moves upwards, said press frame consisting of a rigid and integral unit with such dimensions that it is 'able to withstand large pressures in b Iateral directions 'during the pressing operation and having such a height that all the materialis completely housed Said frame constitutes simultaneously part of the ejecton means. The frame has a height at least equal to and preferably greater .than the thickness of the pressed mat of material. When the mat has been pressed and the press ram is moving upwards, the frame with the pressed mat is moved laterally. Gutside the press the mat is ejected from the frame in Vertical direction.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description in Connection with the accompanying drawing in Which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows in Vertical, longitudinal section a press according to the invention.

FG. 2 diagrammatcally shows a fragmentary transverse section of the press in FIG. l.

In the drawing the reference numeral 1 designates a horizontal press base, Which constitutes the bottom in the press chamber, 2 are the stationary walls' of the press chamber, The walls 2 do not extend down to the base 1 but end at a level 3 at a distance above the base 1 equal to or preferably larger than the thickness of the mat of pressed material 12.

Between the lower edges 'of the walls 2 and the base 1 is positioned a frame 4. .This frame has Vertical inner surfaces, Which in the position of the rame shown in full lines in FIG. 1 flush with the inner surfaces of the walls 2, so that the base l, the frame 4 and the walls 2 together form a closed press chamber being open only at the top.

The frame 4 is made very strong so that it may resist high pressures in lateral directions. This can easily be made, because the walls of the frame do not comprise openings or relatively moveable parts.

The frame 4 is moveably mounted in a lateral direction on the base 1.' 5 designates a hydraulic cylinder,

i and 6 is a piston rod, the left end of which is provided With a piston working in the cylinder 5. The right end of the rod 6 is connected With the frame 4. By means of the hydraulic mechanism compn'sing the parts 5 and 6, the frame 4 can be moved from the position shown in full lines in -FIG. 1 to the position indicated with the dotted lines 4'. The base 1 is to this end extended laterally and is outside the press at 7 provided with an opening 3 of dimensions greater than the inner section of the frame 4. 9 is a hydraulic cylinder with a piston rod 10 b carrying at its lower end an ejector plate 11. Below 'the opening 8 is shown a roll conveyor 13.

A press ram 4 being driven by a hydraulic cylinder 16 through piston rod 15 is adapted to reciprocate in Vertical direction within the chamber enclosed by the walls 2 and a suitable distance into the opening in the press frame 4.

The said chamber enclosed by walls 2 hereinafter Will be referred to as the pre-compressing chamber, in accordance With its function. For feeding material to be compressed into the pre-compressing chamber' there is provided two containers or hoppers 29a, and 29b respectively, on opposite sides of the pre-compressing chamber. Each hopper has an opening 30a and 3012, respectively, on the top of receiving material. At the bottom each hopper is open into a feeding chamber 26a and 26b, respectively.

-In each of these feeding chambers there is provided a feeding piston 25a and 2517, respectively, being formed with a feeding surface 32a and 32b, respectively, The pistons are each adapted for horizontal, reciprocating movement by means of cylinders 28a and 23b, respectively with piston rods 27a and 27b, respectively.

The various hydraulic cylinders are each connected to a valve block 19 through two conduits. The valve block is supplied With hydraulic'fluid -from a hydraulic purnp 23 through a conduit 24. t Preferably the valve block is controlled by a timer (not shown) so as to actuate the different cylinders in a properly related time sequence. Alternatively the valve block may be controlled fully or partly manually.- b

v pressurized hydraulic fiuid for performing the movements required, there are a number of conduits leading from the valve blockxto'the different cylinders. Thus, press ram are not explained in detail' on which it is conveyed to a station for further handling. Instead of the conveyor 13, any suitableconveyor or transporting means-may of Course be used.

cylinder 16 is connected to the valve block 19 through conduits 18 and 18a. The press frarne cylinder is provided with conduits 29 and 23a, whereas eject-or piate cylinder' has conduits 21 and 21a. The feeding oylinders 23a and 2815 are' likewise connected to the ValVe blzock 19 through conduits 31a, 31an and lb, 311701, respectively.

' The operation of the press according to' the embodiment described above is as follows:

"Starting withpress ram 114 in the retracted positi-on as shown in the drawing, the feedingpistons25a and 2517 retracted from the' position in which they are shown in FIG. 2, and With the press frame in position underneath.

the pre-compressing chamber 17 as shown,'material'which is filled'into the hoppers 29a and 29% Will flow by gravity into the -eeding chambers a and' 2617, respectiveiy and from there partly into the precompressing chamber and the opening in the press frame 4. By supplyi ng pressur-' p ized fluid through conduits 31a and lb the cylinders 28a 4 and Zb will move the feeding pistons in the 'direction of the pre-compressin'g chamber to the position in which these pistons are' shown in FIG. 2. Thus the material in the feedingchambers is transferred to the pre-compressing chamber, and the feeding surfaces 32a and 32b are .placed in ralignment With their respective walls 2, thus forming part of these Walls to close the pre-compressing chamber 17. This chamber now is filled with the material to a,

substantial height above its bottom. The valve block 19 is actuated to supply pressurized fiuid to the press ram 'cylinder through conduit 18, and

the press ram now performs its downward Stroke and' presses the material in the pre-compressing chamber into a sheet or rnat 1 2 as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 24 During the last part of the compression the material to be pressed is completely surrounded by the walls of the frame 4,

material.

Which take up *the lateral pressure forces generated in the vln order to increase the capacity 'of the press, two frames 4 may be combined in a known manner to a double acting rame. V

We claim:

A bale press for pressing voluminous material, such as flued groundwood, cellulose or the like, into sheets or mats' of relatively high density,' comprising in combination a horizontal press base, Vertical walls above the press base, defining a pre-oompressing chamber, the lower edges of said walls extending in a horizontal plane ata distance above said base, a laterally moveable press frame supported on said base, 'said press frarne having Vertical Walls defining an opening, of the same shape and dimensions as'saidpre-compressing chamber, the height of the walls being equal to the distance between the base and the lower edges of the Walls of said pre-compressing Chamber, said press frarne being moveable between a first position in which the inner surfaces of its walls are flush with the inner'sur-faces of the Walls of said pre-compressing chamber thus forming the press chamber proper, and a second position outside said pre-eompressing chamber, a press ram adapted. to be moved up and down in said precompressing chamber and said press tramo, driving means forsaid press ram, means' for supplying material to be pressed into said pr'e-compressing chamber, driving means for said press frame and means for ejecting thepressed mat of material 'from said press' frame When in its second positio'n, said driving means for said pressram and said driving'rneans for said press fr'arne being synchronized so that said press frame is in position below said pre-compressing chamber -when said ram eXerts its downward Stroke and is movedto its outside position when said ram moves upwardly, said press frarne being a rigid and integral unit for withstanding large pressures in lateral y directions during the pressing operation and having such When the press ram has begun its upward'stroke under the influence of pressurized fluid supplied through conduit 18a, the frame 4 with its contentof presses' material 12 ismo'ved to the right by means of the hydraulic cylinder 5. The frame is moved to the position indicated at 4' in which the material 12 (not shown) is positioned directly above the opening 5 in the base. Now the material is ejected from the frame'bymeans of the mechanism 9, 10 11 driven by hydraulic fluid from the 'valve block thronghrconduit 21, and falls'down into the conveyor 13 a height that all the material after the-pressing is cornpletely 'housed in saidpress frame, whereby the final phase 'of the pressing operation takes place in said press b frame. r

A Reiereiiees Cited in 'the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 

